41st Black Heritage Series stamp honors Lena Horne

As the nation observes Black History Month this February, the U.S. Postal Service® is proud to present the 2018 Black Heritage® Forever® stamp commemorating the life and legacy of legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne.

The Lena Horne Forever stamp is the 41st in the Black Heritage Stamp series. It was dedicated by Deputy Postmaster General™ Ronald Stroman during a January 30th ceremony at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York.

“Today, we honor the 70-year career of a true American legend,” said Stroman. “With this Forever stamp, The Postal Service™ celebrates a woman who used her platform as a renowned entertainer to become a prolific voice for civil rights advancement and gender equality.”

The stamp art features a photograph of Lena Horne taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980s. Kristen Monthei colorized the original black-and-white photo using a royal blue for the dress, a color Horne frequently wore. Monthei also added a background reminiscent of Horne’s Stormy Weather album, with a few clouds to add texture and to subtly make the album reference. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Background on Lena Horne

Born in Brooklyn, NY, on June 30, 1917, Horne was a trailblazer in Hollywood for women of color and used her fame to inspire Americans as a dedicated activist for civil rights.

Horne began her career as a dancer at Harlem’s Cotton Club and later became a featured vocalist with touring orchestras. The rampant racial discrimination she encountered from audiences, hotel and venue managers and others was so disconcerting that she stopped touring, and in 1941, she made her move to Hollywood. A year later, she signed a contract with MGM – the first black actress to sign a long-term contract with a film studio since 1915 – with the stipulation that she would never be asked to take stereotypical roles then available to black actors. Her most famous movie roles were in Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather, both released in 1943.

During World War II, Horne entertained at camps for black servicemen, and after the war worked on behalf of Japanese Americans who were facing discriminatory housing policies. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt in pressing for anti-lynching legislation. In the 1960s, Horne continued her high-profile work for civil rights, performing at rallies in the South, supporting the work of the National Council for Negro Women, and participating in the 1963 March on Washington.

Horne’s awards and honors include a special Tony Award for her one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music; three Grammy Awards; the NAACP Spingarn Medal; and the Actors Equity Paul Robeson Award. She was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 1984, and her name is among those on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

Stamps are available at The Postal Store® and at many Post Office™ locations. Everyone is encouraged to share the news on social media about the new Lena Horne stamp using hashtags #LenaHorneForever and #BlackHeritageStamps.

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